Cap having comfortable structure

ABSTRACT

A cap includes a hemispherical portion having two side openings, an elastic band attached to bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users. The elastic band includes a front segment secured to the front portion of the hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed beside the rear portion of the hemispherical portion, and two side segments extended through the side openings of the hemispherical portion. The hemispherical portion includes a sleeve formed in the rear portion to slidably receive the rear segment of the elastic band, and to allow the rear segment of the elastic band to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cap, and more particularly to a caphaving an elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical caps, such as baseball caps comprise a hemispherical portion forfitting onto heads of users and formed of a number of rectangular panelsthat are joined to each other by seams, and comprise a visor portionextended forwardly from the hemispherical portion.

For allowing the caps to be snugly fitted onto the heads of the users,the caps normally include an opening formed in the back of thehemispherical portion, opposite to the visor portion, and two strapsextended from the rectangular panels and adjustably secured to eachother with projection-and-orifice engagements, to allow the bottomperipheral portion of the hemispherical portion to be adjusted in sizeto fit various size heads.

However, the straps are normally made of plastic materials, and may notbe easily secured onto the rectangular panels of the hemisphericalportion, such that the caps may not be easily manufactured by factories,and may not be easily used by users.

For avoiding the straps of plastic materials, and for allowing the capsto be easily fitted onto the heads of the users, the other caps havebeen developed and comprise an endless stretchable band attached to thebottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustablyaccommodate a number of various sized heads.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,415 to Beckerman discloses one of thetypical caps comprising a hemispherical portion for fitting onto headsof users, and a visor portion extended forwardly from the hemisphericalportion, and an endless stretchable band attached to the bottomperipheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustablyaccommodate a number of various sized heads.

However, the endless stretchable band is attached all around the bottomperipheral portions of the hemispherical portions, and may also tightlyengaged onto and around the outer peripheral portions of the heads ofthe users, such that air may not be easily ventilated through thestretchable bands and may not be easily ventilated into and out of thecaps, and such that the heads of the users may not feel comfortable.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,831 to Park discloses another typical cap alsocomprising an endless stretchable band attached to the bottom peripheralportion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustably accommodate a numberof various sized heads, and further comprising a number of slits formedor incised in a vertical direction of the stretchable band for airventilating purposes.

However, the endless stretchable band is also attached and engaged allaround the bottom peripheral portions of the hemispherical portions, andmay also tightly engaged onto and around the outer peripheral portionsof the heads of the users, such that air may not be easily ventilatedthrough the stretchable bands.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional caps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a capincluding an elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users,and for allowing air to be easily ventilated through the rear portion ofthe cap or the elastic band and to be easily ventilated into and out ofthe cap.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a capcomprising a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads of users, andincluding a front portion, a rear portion, and two side portions, andincluding two side openings formed in the side portions respectively,the hemispherical portion including a bottom peripheral portion, and anelastic band attached to the bottom peripheral portion of thehemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of theusers, and to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads.The elastic band includes a front segment secured to the front portionof the hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed beside the rearportion of the hemispherical portion, and two side segments extendedthrough the side openings of the hemispherical portion. Thehemispherical portion includes a sleeve formed in the rear portionthereof, to slidably receive the rear segment of the elastic band, andto allow the rear segment of the elastic band to resiliently andadjustably fitted onto the heads of the users, and thus to allow the capto be adjustably and comfortably accommodated onto a number of varioussized heads.

The hemispherical portion includes a flap extended downwardly from therear portion thereof, and folded over the rear segment of the elasticband, and having a free edge secured to the rear portion of thehemispherical portion, to form the sleeve, and to slidably receive therear segment of the elastic band.

The free edge of the flap is secured to the rear portion of thehemispherical portion with at least one seam. The hemispherical portionincludes a plurality of rectangular panels joined to each other byseams.

The rear segment of the elastic band includes at least one cloth strapsecured therein and having a less stretchability to allow the elasticband to be mostly stretched circumferentially at the side segmentsthereof. The cloth strap is made of woven or non-woven cloth materials.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cap in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the cap;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating aprototype of the cap;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIG. 3, illustratinganother arrangement of the cap; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4,illustrating a further arrangement of the cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a cap inaccordance with the present invention comprises a hemispherical portion10 for fitting onto heads of users and formed of a number of rectangularpanels 11 that are joined to each other by seams 12, a visor portion 13extended forwardly from the hemispherical portion 10.

The hemispherical portion 10 of the cap further includes a substantiallysemi-circular front portion 14 and a substantially semi-circular rearportion 15, and two side slits or openings 16 formed in a middle portionor two side portions 17 respectively, or formed between sides or edgesor end portions 18 of the front portion 14 and the rear portion 15respectively, for allowing a bottom peripheral portion 19 of thehemispherical portion 10 of the cap to be suitably or slightly moved oropened or stretched relative to each other.

An elastic band 20 is attached or secured into an inner portion of thebottom peripheral portion 19 of the hemispherical portion 10 of the cap,to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users, and to adjustablyaccommodate a number of various sized heads. The elastic band 20 ispreferably a sweat band for absorbing sweat and/or for air ventilationpurposes, and made of resilient or elastic materials for snugly andtightly and resiliently engaging onto the heads of the users.

The elastic band 20 includes a front segment 21 secured to the frontportion 14 of the hemispherical portion 10 with one or more seams 22, arear segment 23 disposed beside the rear portion 15 of the hemisphericalportion 10 without securing to the hemispherical portion 10, and twoside segments 24 extended through the side slits or openings 16 of thehemispherical portion 10.

The hemispherical portion 10 of the cap further includes a flap 30extended downwardly from the rear portion 15 thereof (FIGS. 3-5), andfolded over the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 (FIGS. 1, 2), andhaving a free edge 31 secured to the rear portion 15 of thehemispherical portion 10 with one or more seams 32, to form alongitudinal pocket or sleeve 33 and to slidably receive the rearsegment 23 of the elastic band 20, and thus to allow the rear segment 23of the elastic band 20 to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto theheads of the users.

It is to be noted that the elastic band 20 will not be directly engagedonto the heads of the users, but indirectly engaged onto the heads ofthe users via the flap 30 of the hemispherical portion 10, to allow airto easily ventilate through the flap 30 and to easily ventilate into andout of the cap, such that the users may feel more comfortable.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 mayfurther include one or more cloth straps 25 disposed or secured thereinand preferably made of woven or non-woven cloth materials, and having astretchability less than that of the other portions of the elastic band20, such that the elastic band 20 is mostly stretched circumferentiallyat the side segments 24.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear segment 23 of the elasticband 20 may have no cloth straps disposed or secured therein; or, asshown in FIG. 5, the side segments 24 of the elastic band 20 may be madeas cloth straps for extending through the side slits or openings 16 ofthe hemispherical portion 10.

Accordingly, the cap in accordance with the present invention includesan elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users, and forallowing the air to be easily ventilated through the flap and to beeasily ventilated into and out of the cap.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A cap comprising: a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads ofusers, and including a front portion, a rear portion, and two sideportions, and including two side openings formed in said side portionsrespectively, said hemispherical portion including a bottom peripheralportion, an elastic band attached to said bottom peripheral portion ofsaid hemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of theusers, and to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads,said elastic band including a front segment secured to said frontportion of said hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed besidesaid rear portion of said hemispherical portion, and two side segmentsextended through said side openings of said hemispherical portion, andsaid hemispherical portion including a sleeve formed in said rearportion thereof, to slidably receive said rear segment of said elasticband, and to allow said rear segment of said elastic band to resilientlyand adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users.
 2. The cap as claimedin claim 1, wherein said hemispherical portion includes a flap extendeddownwardly from said rear portion thereof, and folded over said rearsegment of said elastic band, and having a free edge secured to saidrear portion of said hemispherical portion, to form said sleeve, and toslidably receive said rear segment of said elastic band.
 3. The cap asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said free edge of said flap is secured tosaid rear portion of said hemispherical portion with at least one seam.4. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear segment of saidelastic band includes at least one cloth strap secured therein andhaving a less stretchability to allow said elastic band to be mostlystretched circumferentially at said side segments thereof.
 5. The cap asclaimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one cloth strap is made ofwoven or non-woven cloth materials.
 6. The cap as claimed in claim 1,wherein said hemispherical portion includes a plurality of rectangularpanels joined to each other by seams.